By Front Row Reviewers Staff
Recently we asked Lyrical Opera Theater some questions about themselves and their upcoming production of Lucia di Lammemoor
Lucia di Lammermoor will take you to 17th Century Scotland on a journey of love, jealousy, passion, anger, and delirium. Lovely Lady Lucia is between a rock and a hard place as her lover, Edgardo, is feuding with her protective but foolish brother Enrico, who has arranged for her to be married off to the wealthy Arturo, for money. Which will win out? Love, money, or madness?
From Clara Hurtado Lee, Lyric Coloratura Soprano: As we dove into production, we began to realize that this opera goes well with Halloween with its mystical setting in old Scottish ruins haunted by ghosts, castles. and graveyards. Its leading lady performs a “mad scene” with a bloody dagger in a blood-stained nightgown and its final scene takes place in a misty graveyard at night.
Performing in the brand-new, gorgeous Mid-Valley Performing Arts center is a dream-come-true for us as it is a luxurious theater with perfect acoustics yet in an intimate setting.
When asked, “What is the most bizarre thing you’ve learned while working on this production?” Hurtado replied, “Gaetano Donizetti, the composer of this opera, wrote many operas including this one with “mad scenes” in them. At the young age of 48, Donizetti himself went mad, was institutionalized and died a merciful death shortly after.”
As a producer, I often must fill any gaps in our productions. In this one, I am stepping in to sing a “Gentleman/Knight” to support our tenor section. It will be fun to cross-dress and see the shocked looks on people’s faces when they realize it is me.
I have a lifetime of experience on stage both nationally and internationally and in all of those years, I have never sung male roles before. When asked what is the most unexpected things that ever happened to you onstage, Hurtado replied, “Another actor and I tumbled down a small staircase rolling round and round each other ending with our skirts wrapped around our heads.”
The role of Lucia in this opera is one of the all-time dream roles for most coloratura sopranos. It is a role I studied and did scenes from, always wanted to perform but never did get to. It is a pleasure to give that opportunity to two outstanding coloratura sopranos for this production.
As a producer, I do get involved in all the tech, costuming, set design, stage direction, etc. I have a vague notion of how to design the lighting. It is an aspect of stage production I would love to learn more about.
From the Director:
1. What is your favorite part of this production? It is the spectacular, virtuosic singing that requires extremely high levels of skills to perform.
2. Tell us about your cast. We have been able to double-cast all of our leading and comprimario roles from our excellent local, Utah artists. They come from as far away as Logan to sing with us.
3. What is your background and training as a director? I grew up performing and studying acting. I have directed many operatic and concert productions.
4. What is the biggest challenge of directing in general? In the era of music in which Donizetti wrote this opera, there is a lot of repetition of words. It is difficult to creatively come up with motivation for creating action on stage to hold the interest of the audience during these kinds of moments.
5. What is the biggest challenge of directing this show? Staging Lucia’s famous “mad scene” as it is extremely difficult vocally. It needs then to be staged in a way that is interesting yet does not overtax a singer physically to perform as they need to have the breath to sing.
6. How is it working with this demographic of cast and crew, compared to other cast/crews you’ve worked with? It takes a high degree of education and skill to sing opera including years of acting classes. Opera singers are eager to cooperate with, flexible and creatively come up with ideas to enhance the staging. Our Utah artists are particularly supportive for what LOT is producing for our community.
From the Costumer:
1. What have been the challenges in costuming this show? Coming up with costume designs that fit with the fashions in the 1680s when this opera takes place.
From the Set Designers, Light Designers, Sound Designers:
1. What have been the challenges of this project? The Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center has an excellent fly system, something our previous theater did not have. We’re still learning how to utilize the fly system and will have a full proscenium set pieces hooked to the batons. We have specific ideas and coordinated with a professional stagehand “rigger” to figure out how to safely hang our pieces.
2. What kind of research and planning went into creating these designs? The opera takes place in Lammermoor, Scotland in the 1680s. Fortunately, many historical sites in Scotland have survived throughout the centuries. Photos of them exist all over the internet.
3. What kind of effect do you hope your audiences will see and feel as a result of your design? We hope they will feel they’ve gone back in time to 1680 in Scotland.
From the Choreographer
1. Tell us about the project. We have a wonderful choreographer, Carly Schaub, that has choreographed several dance scenes in our opera. She is knowledgeable about ballet and helped us realize we could connect into the ballet Giselle as it has ghost type of figures called “willis.”
3. What is your background? Carly Schaub lives in SLC, where she also completed her M.F.A. at the University of Utah in Modern Dance. Before SLC, she lived in ND, dancing and serving as Outreach Coordinator for Northern Plains Dance. She also has a B.F.A. in Theatre/Dance from the University of Wyoming. Carly is an adjunct for Salt Lake Community College, and Westminster College, and teaches Modern and Ballet at Wasatch Arts Center. She teaches Dance for Parkinson’s for U of U’s Skagg’s Wellness Center and RDT. She has choreographed for Deseret Experimental Opera, Snow College, and Cache Valley Civic Ballet, Northern Plains Dance and teaches Baroque and Renaissance dance. Carly directs Dance Balletti, an early Ballet reconstruction ensemble and she also dances with Municipal Ballet.
From the theater owners
1. What is the mission of your theater? To enrichen Utah communities by providing innovative professional family operas and classical concerts ensuring arts education and performance excellence.
2. How did it start? It started with the desire to create high quality community opera that would give opportunities to local artists where they could stay home with their loved ones and income providing jobs.
3. What are the challenges of running a theater? Coordinating everyone’s schedules, applying for funding opportunities, reading through endless contracts and assuring they’re fulfilled.
4. What are the joys? Watching our performers do what they’ve always dreamed of doing and seeing them reach into the hearts of our audience members touching their lives.
Lyrical Opera Theater presents Lucia di Lammemoor
Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, 2525 Taylorsville Blvd (5400 S), Taylorsville, UT
CONTACT/TICKETS INFO: ArtTix, https://www.saltlakecountyarts.org/events/lucia-di-lammermoor/ – ArtTix Phone: 801 – 355 – ARTS (2787)
Lucia di Lammemoor Facebook Event
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